Saturday, April 14, 2018

Cyndi!

I don’t draw enough women. This has been a thing for me for a long time– basically since I drifted away from my preteen Sailor Moon obsession. I’ve only realized it in recent years, and I try to keep it at the front of my mind every time I start a project. Every so often I give myself a small challenge to address the issue. And they end up being valuable exercises, but they’re almost always pretty low-stakes. They’re sketchbook pieces. So as often as I can, I’m trying to draw more ladies. But beyond just drawing them, I especially want to elevate them past exercises and onto tight, finished works.

The other thing: It’s been several months since I last completed a big, ambitious project. There have been a succession of pet portraits in the meantime. Those have been gratifying and important as well, but I’ve also missed my usual thing. And rather than dive right into another grueling month-long piece, I’m wondering about my ability to execute something really cool and semi-polished in a shorter span of time.

The other other thing: a purely colored pencil drawing, for once!

So I’ve set myself the ongoing task of doing some thoughtful, striking tributes to some of the lovely women who inspire me. Starting with: Cyndi!

When Cyndi Lauper sings she deftly maneuvers between uninhibited belting and gentle sighing. I love her vocal style a lot because it's intense and soulful
and totally singular. And of course, she’s also just so appealingly
flashy. Cyndi’s visual flair is something I would never attempt for
myself, and it teeters on the brink of good taste. But it’s so
empowering to see her do it, because her confidence means she nails it.